The first indication of a problem was a red ‘SERVICE CHARGING SYSTEM NOW’ message at 121 total vehicle miles and continued to be intermittent. The vehicle was returned to the selling Ford dealership the next day. After a day in the service department, they were unable to duplicate the problem. This same message reappeared sporadically, but did not seem to affect the safe operation of the vehicle. At approximately 1460 miles the red ‘SERVICE CHARGING SYSTEM NOW’ and many other messages appeared while I was on an interstate traveling at 70mph. As I started maneuvering for the nearest exit, the steering would not respond without using EXCESSIVE force, creating a dangerous, unsafe situation. I managed to safely exit the highway and park the vehicle. It would not reset or operate normally. The vehicle was subsequently towed to a Ford dealer. After 3 weeks of troubleshooting, they replaced the main AGM 12V battery (Part Number BAGM 94RH7 800) and the DCDC Converter (Part Number ML3Z 14G649 F). These components may be available from Astro Ford in Biloxi, MS for inspection.